The American, Kathleen McNurney, started at the age of seven with her dance education in her home town Portland,Oregon and finished her studies at nineteen in New York at the Harkness School for Ballet Arts, under the direction of David Howard.

Thirty years ago she moved to Switzerland, as she was invited to join the company of Heinz Spoerli in Basel. Until the end of her performing career, she was one of the solo dancers in this company. She then became the ballet mistress in Zürich and later with Richard Wherlock in Basel.

She is responsible for technical standard of the dancers and takes care of the repertoire pieces.

In this position she also works for the Ballett Braunschweig, Lucerne Ballet and the Ballet of the Staatstheater Wiesbaden.

Kathleen McNurney was the choreographic assistant of creations of Heinz Spoerli, Richard Wherlock, Pierre Wyss, and Patrick Delcroix. She also recreates the ballets from well-known, choreographers like Mauro Bigonzetti, Christopher Bruce, Jorma Elo, Jiri Kylián, Hans von Manen, Angelin Preljocaj and Ed Wubbe.

In 2009 she became the artistic director of the high technical and multi-faceted dance company of the “Luzerner Theater” and brings well-known choreographers and newcomers to Lucerne.